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Then there was great rejoicing in the house of Tokubei； and he gave a
feast to all his friends in celebration of the happy event。 But on the
night of the feast the nurse O…Sode was suddenly taken ill； and on the
following morning； the doctor； who had been summoned to attend her；
announced that she was dying。
Then the family； in great sorrow； gathered about her bed； to bid her
farewell。 But she said to them：
〃It is time that I should tell you something which you do not know。 My
prayer has been heard。 I besought Fudo…Sama that I might be permitted to
die in the place of O…Tsuyu； and this great favor has been granted me。
Therefore you must not grieve about my death。。。 But I have one request to
make。 I promised Fudo…Sama that I would have a cherry…tree planted in the
garden of Saihoji； for a thank…offering and a commemoration。 Now I shall
not be able myself to plant the tree there： so I must beg that you will
fulfill that vow for me。。。 Good…bye； dear friends； and remember that I was
happy to die for O…Tsuyu's sake。〃
After the funeral of O…Sode； a young cherry…tree； the finest that could
be found； was planted in the garden of Saihoji by the parents of O…Tsuyu。
The tree grew and flourished； and on the sixteenth day of the second month
of the following year； the anniversary of O…Sode's death； it blossomed
in a wonderful way。 So it continued to blossom for two hundred and
fifty…four years； always upon the sixteenth day of the second month；
and its flowers； pink and white； were like the nipples of a woman's
breasts； bedewed with milk。 And the people called it Ubazakura； the
Cherry…tree of the Milk…Nurse。
DIPLOMACY
It had been ordered that the execution should take place in the garden of
the yashiki （1）。 So the man was taken there； and made to kneel down in a
wide sanded space crossed by a line of tobi…ishi； or stepping…stones； such
as you may still see in Japanese landscape…gardens。 His arms were bound
behind him。 Retainers brought water in buckets； and rice…bags filled with
pebbles； and they packed the rice…bags round the kneeling man； so wedging
him in that he could not move。 The master came； and observed the
arrangements。 He found them satisfactory； and made no remarks。
Suddenly the condemned man cried out to him：
〃Honored Sir； the fault for which I have been doomed I did not wittingly
commit。 It was only my very great stupidity which caused the fault。 Having
been born stupid； by reason of my Karma； I could not always help making
mistakes。 But to kill a man for being stupid is wrong； and that wrong
will be repaid。 So surely as you kill me； so surely shall I be avenged；
out of the resentment that you provoke will come the vengeance； and evil
will be rendered for evil。〃。。。
If any person be killed while feeling strong resentment； the ghost of that
person will be able to take vengeance upon the killer。 This the samurai
knew。 He replied very gently； almost caressingly：
〃We shall allow you to frighten us as much as you please after you are
dead。 But it is difficult to believe that you mean what you say。 Will you
try to give us some sign of your great resentment after your head has
been cut off？〃
〃Assuredly I will；〃 answered the man。
〃Very well；〃 said the samurai； drawing his long sword； 〃I am now going
to cut off your head。 Directly in front of you there is a stepping…stone。
After your head has been cut off； try to bite the stepping…stone。 If your
angry ghost can help you to do that； some of us may be frightened。。。 Will
you try to bite the stone？〃
〃I will bite it！〃 cried the man； in great anger； 〃I will bite it！ I
will bite〃
There was a flash； a swish； a crunching thud： the bound body bowed over
the rice sacks； two long blood…jets pumping from the shorn neck； and
the head rolled upon the sand。 Heavily toward the stepping…stone it rolled：
then； suddenly bounding； it caught the upper edge of the stone between its
teeth； clung desperately for a moment； and dropped inert。
None spoke； but the retainers stared in horror at their master。 He seemed
to be quite unconcerned。 He merely held out his sword to the nearest
attendant； who； with a wooden dipper； poured water over the blade from haft
to point； and then carefully wiped the steel several times with sheets of
soft paper。。。 And thus ended the ceremonial part of the incident。
For months thereafter； the retainers and the domestics lived in ceaseless
fear of ghostly visitation。 None of them doubted that the promised
vengeance would come； and their constant terror caused them to hear and to
see much that did not exist。 They became afraid of the sound of the wind in
the bamboos； afraid even of the stirring of shadows in the garden。 At
last； after taking counsel together； they decided to petition their master
to have a Segaki…service （2） performed on behalf of the vengeful spirit。
〃Quite unnecessary；〃 the samurai said； when his chief retainer had uttered
the general wish。。。 〃I understand that the desire of a dying man for
revenge may be a cause for fear。 But in this case there is nothing to
fear。〃
The retainer looked at his master beseechingly； but hesitated to ask the
reason of the alarming confidence。
〃Oh； the reason is simple enough；〃 declared the samurai； divining the
unspoken doubt。 〃Only the very last intention of the fellow could have been
dangerous； and when I challenged him to give me the sign； I diverted his
mind from the desire of revenge。 He died with the set purpose of biting the
stepping…stone； and that purpose he was able to accomplish； but nothing
else。 All the rest he must have forgotten。。。 So you need not feel any
further anxiety about the matter。〃
And indeed the dead man gave no more trouble。 Nothing at all happened。
OF A MIRROR AND A BELL
Eight centuries ago； the priests of Mugenyama； in the province of Totomi
（1）； wanted a big bell for their temple； and they asked the women of their
parish to help them by contributing old bronze mirrors for bell…metal。
＇Even to…day； in the courts of certain Japanese temples； you may see heaps
of old bronze mirrors contributed for such a purpose。 The largest
collection of this kind that I ever saw was in the court of a temple of the
Jodo sect； at Hakata； in Kyushu： the mirrors had been given for the making
of a bronze statue of Amida； thirty…three feet high。＇
There was at that time a young woman； a farmer's wife； living at
Mugenyama； who presented her mirror to the temple； to be used for
bell…metal。 But afterwards she much regretted her mirror。 She remembered
things that her mother had told her about it； and she remembered that it
had belonged； not only to her mother but to her mother's mother and
grandmother； and she remembered some happy smiles which it had reflected。
Of course； if she could have offered the priests a certain sum of money in
place of the mirror； she could have asked them to give back her heirloom。
But she had not the money necessary。 Whenever she went to the temple； she
saw her mirror lying in the court…yard； behind a railing； among hundreds of
other mirrors heaped there together。 She knew it by the Sho…Chiku…Bai in
relief on the back of it； those three fortunate emblems of Pine； Bamboo；
and Plumflower； which delighted her baby…eyes when her mother first showed
her the mirror。 She longed for some chance to steal the mirror； and hide
it； that she might thereafter treasure it always。 But the chance did not
come； and she became very unhappy； felt as if she had foolishly given
away a part of her life。 She thought about the old saying that a mirror is
the Soul of a Woman （a saying mystically expressed； by the Chinese
character for Soul； upon the backs of many bronze mirrors）； and she
feared that it was true in weirder ways than she had before imagined。 But
she could not dare to speak of her pain to anybody。
Now； when all the mirrors contributed for the Mugenyama bell had been sent
to the foundry； the bell…founders discovered that there was one mirror
among them which would not melt。 Again and again they tried to melt it； but
it resisted all their efforts。 Evidently the woman who had given that
mirror to the temple must have regretted the giving。 She had not presented
her offering with all her heart； and therefore her selfish soul； remaining
attached to the mirror； kept it hard and cold in the midst of the furnace。
Of course everybody heard of the matter； and everybody soon knew whose
mirror it was that would not melt。 And because of this public exposure of
her secret fault； the poor woman became very much ashamed and very angry。
And as she could not bear the shame； she drowned herself； after having
written a farewell letter containing these words：
〃When I am dead； it will not be difficult